Burglar and fire alarm.



PATENTED APR. 19, 1904 I M. NI-ZGKBLS.

y BURGLAR AND FIRE ALARM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1903.

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BURGLAR AND FIRE ALARM.

APPLICATION FILED 14, 1903.

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UNITED STATES V Patented April 19, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE,

or ONE-HALF TO SYLVANIA.

BURGLAR AND FIRE ALARM.

FRANK P. WAGNER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 757,490, dated April 19, 1904.

Application filed August 14, 1903. Serial No. 169,437. (No m d l.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MATTHEW NIcKELs, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Imfprovements in Burglar and Fire Alarms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accom-,

panying. drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to that class of combined burglar and fire alarms in which a gong or bell is struck by clock mechanism for giving the alarm, the

mechanical construction being such that upon 7 the release of a weight by the tripping of a catch or burning of the connection between the catch and the Weight the clock mechanis is set free to sound the alarm.

With these general objects in view the in- .vention consists of the several parts and combinations, as will be hereinafter fully described and then definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the interior of a room-or apartment, showing the general arrangement of my improved device as connected to the door and windows thereof. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective showing one form of catch as applied to detect the opening of a door or like structure. Fig. 8 is an enlarged elevation of the trip and alarm mechanism, the same being represented as inclosed in a suitable box or casing and the parts being shown in position for holding the alarm mechanism out of operation. Fig. 4: is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the parts in another position; and Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of the guideways.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a suitable casing of convenient size for holding the alarm and trip mechanisms to be described, said casing being preferably of ornamental character and provided with a door, as A. Disposed within the casing A are the guideways B of any suitable number, depending upon the number of doors and windows to be guarded. The guideways B are preferably constructed as upright troughs, as shown, having in one side thereof a slot Z1, extending nection b with a series of flexible and com bustible leaders 6*, which are themselves provided at their ends with trip-hangers 5 (see Figs. 1 and 2,) adapted to engage pins 6 in suitable position with respect to the door or window to be guarded. 1n the case of a door the pin 6 may be driven in or secured to the door-framing, as shown in Fig. 2, or in case of window-shutters such pins 6 may be secured to one of the shutters, as shown in Fig. 1. In either event, however, it is desirable to provide means to insure the ready detachment of the trip-hangers from their pins when the door or window-shutters are being opened,

.and such means in the present instance consists of a detaching or trip arm 5 which may be applied to the door, as shown in Fig. 2, or to one of the shutters, as in Fig. 1, the pins 5 in either event passing freely through suitable openings in the free end of the trip-arms, and the trip-hangers being then engaged over the pins. From the construction thus far described it Will be evident, on reference to Figs. 1 and 2, that should the door or Windowshutters be moved in an attempt to open any one of them the trip-armb will push the triphanger from the pin and allow the weight 5 connected with such trip-hanger, to drop to the bottom of its guideway B. 7,

During the day,when the burglar-alarm is -not needed, the trip-hangers. may beapplied to suitable hooks bisecured in convenient position to the door or window framing to still hold the weights 12 in their raised position in the guideways, so that should a fire occur the combustible leaders 6* will be burned, thus allowing the weights to fall and sound the alarm, as will presently appear.

Suitably mounted in the casing A is any usual form of alarm mechanism C, that illustrative of the invention being an ordinary clock-alarm, which being of the well-known construction need not be specifically described. Such mechanism is provided with a bell 0, which may be acted on by the hammer 0' when said hammer is free to move under the stress of the clock mechanism, as will be obvious.

" Extending transverseiy across the slots 6 of the guides B is the trip-bar D, preferably in the form of a roller mounted in the bearings d cl, and below said trip-bar D is the tripcatch E, pivoted at e and provided with an end 0 adapted to engage a finger 0 of the hammer c and maintain said hammer out of operation, as shown in Fig. 3. Between the pivot e and end 6 the trip-catch is provided with an eye 6, to which is connected a series of chains or other non-combustible flexible devices f f, having their other ends passed over the trip-bar Dthrough the slots 6 Z) of the guideways B and attached, respectively, to the weights 6 6 The chains or flexible connections f f are of such length that when the triphangers are hung to any of the pins b or b and the weights are in their elevated position, as indicated in Fig. 3, the trip-catch E may assume the position indicated in said Fig. 3,with

its free end 6 in holding engagement with the finger c of the hammer 0; but should any of the trip-hangers be detached from the pins 6 or should any of them be burned or severed the attached weight b will fall to the bottom of its guideway B, as shown at the left of Fig. 4:, thus pulling the chain f connected therewith over the trip-bar D and raising the free end of the trip-catch from the finger c of the hammer, thus freeing the hammer to the action of the clock mechanism and sounding the alarm.

It is evident, of course, that many details may be changed or modified within the scope of my invention and that the guideways B, while preferably formed of cast or bent metal, may be differently constructed. By forming the slots 6 in the guideways it will be seen that the chains may pass over the trip-bar D into the guideways, where they connect with the weights, and that the weights are at all times free to move in the guideways while being protected thereby, and the stops at the lower end of the guideways serve to prevent injury to the trip-catch or chain connection therewith when the weight falls. Of course it will be evident that the number of guideways and weights may be varied as circumstances require.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the type set forth, comprising a plurality of guideways, weights arranged to slide in said guideways, a series of leaders attached to said weights, a trip-catch pivoted at one end in the casing, and extending across the said guideways, the opposite end of said trip-catch normally engaging the alarm, a roller mounted in bearings and extending across the guideways, and means connected to said weights and to said trip-lever at an intermediate point thereof, and passing over the said roller for operating the said tripcatch.

2. A device of the type set forth comprising a plurality of guideways, weights arranged to slide in said guideways, a series of leaders attached to said Weights, a trip-catch pivoted at one end in the casing, and extending across the said guideways, the opposite end of said trip-catch normally engaging the alarm, a roller mounted in bearings and extending across the said guideways, chains secured to said weights and to said trip-catch at an intermediate point, and passing over the said roller.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 13th day of August, A. D. 1903.

MATTHEW NIOKELS. Witnesses:

A. FLORENCE YERGER, FRANK P. WAGNER. 

